


Lingering Fears

by arachnid_writes



Category: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Cartoon 2018)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Brotherly Love, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Post Season 2 Finale, description of panic attack, i use “finale” loosely, im still in denial, its implied though :(, leo gives mikey some well deserved choccy milk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:35:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26474242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arachnid_writes/pseuds/arachnid_writes
Summary: They had won.Shredder wasn’t a threat, and Oroku Saki’s spirit was finally free to live with his daughter happily in the afterlife. Everyone had come out alright!So why couldn’t Mikey shake the feeling that it wasn’t so okay?
Relationships: Leonardo & Michelangelo (TMNT)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 86





	Lingering Fears

**Author's Note:**

> so quick heads up, like mentioned in the tags this oneshot contains description of panic attacks! like i said for panic buttons, know your limits, take it easy and pace yourself if you think it’s getting to you. this is a threat <3
> 
> happy reading!

“Guys?” Mikey’s voice echoed in the atrium, bouncing off the walls and ringing in his tympanum.

It was almost pitch black in the lair, and Mikey had to squint just to see his own hands in front of him. He had woken up to it like this, and hadn’t seen even a sign of his brothers since. Sure, it looked like it was the middle of the night and _maybe_ his bros were asleep, but something didn’t sit right in Mikey.

Something felt wrong, and he wanted to see his brothers. No matter how childish it made him feel.

He stumbled his way to the closest wall, tripping over some kind of object he wasn’t able to make out. “Is anybody up?”He called out again, walking along the wall and letting his fingers guide him. He felt a barely noticeable edge, the edge of a room, and followed it until his hand gripped the side of the entrance.

He poked his head in to see Leo’s room, softly illuminated by a lantern hanging from the ceiling, but no Leo. 

“Leo...?” He whispered hesitantly. Something clattered behind him and he whipped around quickly, breaths stuttering in his throat as his eyes searched for something amiss.

Nothing was there. He gulped, but continued his way along the wall to everyone’s rooms.

Each of his searches turned up empty, and each of his searches made his stomach sink lower and lower with dread. His skin prickled with the sense of being watched, _observed_ , but every time he turned around he was met with nothing. It didn’t do wonders for his nerves.

“If-If this is a prank,” he started hesitantly, gripping his arm as he called into the arcade room, stepping inside. “it’s really not funny.”

His voice wobbled a little as he walked over to the Pants Pants Revolution machine, the 8-bit music the only sound in the room other than his own quiet breaths. 

The highscore screen was almost mocking him, icons of himself, his bros, and Bullhop just making him miss their familiar faces even more.

Where had his brothers even gone? He wanted them back.

“Where are you guys...?”

Another clatter behind him, and he almost didn’t want to look. Nothing had been there every other time it happened, why would now be any different?

He sighed, exasperated. “I don’t know why I’m about to talk to nothing but I really can’t deal with whatever you are right now, so _please_ just leave me alone until I can find my-“

He turned on his heel, expecting to see darkness. His heart stopped as he was met with two angular purple eyes, glaring above him. 

“U-Uhm, okay, you’re definitely something. Sorry if I was rude,” he said quietly, tucking into his shell a little. “You can bother me if you want just please don’t eat me?”

A low growl filled the air, sending a chill down Mikey’s spine. The owner of the eyes must not have liked that.

It took a step forward, and Mikey froze in place as it slipped into the light of the dance machine now behind him. Mikey inhaled sharply as it was fully illuminated, stumbling backwards and gripping the balance bar tightly.

He whimpered. “Y-You’re...” he gulped, other hand racing to the sash stretching across his plastron for his kusari-fundo, grasping at cloth instead of the familiar handle. The figure growled again, taking a step closer.

“Shredder.” 

As if speaking his name prompted Shredder to move, Mikey had little more than blinked before a clawed hand was swiping towards him with an animalistic yell.

Mikey yelped, tucking into his shell completely as the hand swiped where his head had been. He popped out on his stomach, scrambling on his hands and feet and racing away and towards the entrance. 

Metal creaked loudly behind him, tearing apart and Mikey forced his legs to move faster. 

He was just about to make it to the entrance when he skidded to a halt, the Pant Pants Revolution machine blocking his escape with a deafening clang as the lights flickered out. He turned around, eyes wide, met with the Shredder racing towards him on all fours.

His mind flashed back to the fight in the shipyard, but he didn’t have a freighter to throw or even his weapon to defend himself. The Shredder lunged at him and he ducked out of the way, trying to escape.

He cried out as something hooked onto the back of his sash, tugging him backwards and making him collide with the uprooted machine. His shell dented the metal, his head lurching backwards and banging against it as he crumpled to the ground. He groaned weakly, attempting to at least bring himself up on his elbows by pushing off with his legs.

He looked up to see the Shredder’s towering figure, and he couldn’t bring himself to move any more, frozen in place as he shrunk down. 

“Nonono, please,”he begged, watching in terror as Shredder raised his hand. Mikey brought his arms up to protect himself, even though he knew it would ultimately be useless. His eyes stung with tears as he shook.

“P-Please, don’t-“ 

The hand reared back.

“No- _Please_ -“

Claws came down on him fast, and all Mikey could do was scream, squeezing his eyes shit and preparing himself for blinding pain.

—————————

When he opened his eyes again it was with a cry of terror, shooting upright in his makeshift bed and wrenching the covers off him. His breaths came out quick and short, and his hand reached up to where his heart was, feeling the erratic pulse thrum strongly even under his plastron. 

That same hand reached down to clench the sheet tightly, rubbing his thumb on the fabric as he fought to get his breathing under control. A soft and tired groan to his left had his eyes darting over, anxiously trying to find the source and hoping he wouldn’t be met with purple eyes again.

Instead, he saw Leo shifting in his sleep, turning over to face Mikey before his eyes drowsily cracked open. “Mmm, Mikey?” he mumbled.

Mikey gripped the sheet tighter, clenching his eyes shut in hopes it would help him _breathe_ already. He didn’t mean to wake up Leo, he didn’t want to bother him, it was just a dream-

There was shifting to his left, and Leo’s voice suddenly sounded more worried, all hints of exhaustion gone in an instant. “Hey, what’s wrong Mike? Are you okay?”

Mikey didn’t want to see Leo’s concerned face, he didn’t think he could handle it, so he tried to keep his eyes shut. Images of a clawed hand being brought down him— too close, way too close— flashed in his mind and only made him more panicked. He opened his eyes again and stared ahead of him. He hadn’t even noticed tears were welling in them until one slipped down his cheek. He shook his head, mouth agape as he struggled to keep air in.

“Are you okay to be touched?”

Mikey nodded jerkily, his hand that had been clutching the blanket feeling around for Leo blindly before a hand met his own, gripping it tightly. Leo used this grip to gently pull Mikey closer into a sideways hug, and the boxshell felt another hand reach around to trace over the patterns on his scutes.

“It’s okay, I’m here Mikey.” Leo whispered. “Breathe, follow my lead okay? In,”

Leo took a deep breath in and Mikey tried to follow.

“Out.”

They both exhaled, Mikey’s albeit very shaky.

“That’s good, you’re doing great. Keep going. In,”

Another inhale, it was getting a little easier.

“Out.”

Mikey felt his shoulders deflate, and finally it felt like his lungs weren’t shriveling up from lack of air. 

“Good job, you’re doing amazing. Do you feel a little better?”

Mikey exhaled shakily, but he nodded, turning to look at Leo. “Yeah, a little.” he said quietly, hardly above a whisper.

Thankfully Leo was close enough to hear him, and he smiled softly. “I’m glad. Do you wanna talk about it?”

Mikey frowned, his fingers still buzzing a little from the attack. He carefully retracted his hand from Leo’s and brought it to his knees, hugging himself as he returned his look to the far wall. “Not really, it was just...a nightmare.”

It was Leo’s turn to frown as he removed his hand from Mikey’s shell, and Mikey missed the gentle rhythm. “A nightmare?”

“Mhm.” Mikey paused, looking to his right to see Raph and Donnie sleeping in cots not too far. They were breathing softly, they were there and they were okay. wasn’t alone. He looked back over to Leo, eyes scanning over his careful expression. 

He wasn’t alone. They had stopped Shredder, and they were all okay. 

“I uh, I think I’m okay now though.” he admitted. _“_ Not... _totally_ , but I’m better.”

Leo let out an exhale. “That’s good.” his eyes widened a fraction and he groaned, bringing a hand up to his face and dragging it down dramatically. “Ugh, I sound like a broken record don’t I? I need to start finding more synonyms for ‘good’.”

Mikey laughed, the complaint clearly a ploy to bring his mood up. It worked.

Leo grinned at the laugh, pleased that his little plan had worked. Mikey tapped his fingers on his leg a little nervously for a second before he spoke up.

“I’m uh, a little thirsty though.” he said, realizing the dryness of his throat. “Could you maybe get me something to drink?”

Leo was already getting up. “Sure thing, anything in particular?”

“Uh,” Mikey thought for a second. “not really?”

Leo stretched his arms over his head for a second. “Chocolate milk it is!” he declared. “I think April just brought us some like yesterday, you can break in the carton.”

Mikey smiled as Leo headed towards their temporary kitchen. “Hey uh, Leo?”

Leo looked over his shoulder, and Mikey noticed the way his fingers twitched as if ready to jump to his aid. He chose not to mention it. “Thanks.”

Leo grinned once again. “Anytime, lil’ bro.”

**Author's Note:**

> this fic technically takes place after the season two finale, but know that we are _still_ fighting for this show!! remember to keep up to date with our plans for each week of twitter “activism” (in quotes because i don’t know how else to phrase it aha) and continue supporting the show and recommending it to your friends and family!


End file.
